m into the retired building which we have
already seen.

The room in which Croustillac waited some moments was furnished with a
luxury of which he had heretofore had no idea; superb old paintings,
magnificent porcelains, curiosities in goldsmith's work, of the most
costly nature, incumbered the furniture, as valuable on account of its
material as for its workmanship; a lute and a theorbo, whose ornaments
of ivory and gold were of a finish most uncommon in carving, attracted
the attention of Croustillac, who was delighted to think that his future
wife was a musician.

"Zounds!" cried the chevalier, "is it possible that the mistress of so
much wealth is as beautiful as the day? No, no, I should be too
fortunate; although I deserve this happiness."

We may judge of the surprise, not to say the shock, to the Gascon when
Angela entered. The little widow was radiant in youth, grace, beauty and
dress; robed in a costume of the fashion of Louis the Fourteenth, she
wore a dress of sky blue, the long waist of which seemed to be
embroidered with diamonds, pearls and rubies, though this profusion of
gems was arranged with taste.

Croustillac, in spite of his audacity, recoiled before such a vision. In
all his life he had never encountered a woman so ravishingly pretty, so
royally dressed; he could not believe his eyes; he looked at her with
bewilderment. We must say, to the chevalier's credit, that he had a
laudable attack of modesty, but unhappily as fleeting as sincere. He
thought that so charming a creature might perhaps hesitate to marry an
adventurer like himself; but he recalled his impertinent and
vainglorious confidences to the buccaneer; he said to himself that,
after all, one man was as good as another, and he recovered very rapidly
his imperturbable assurance.

Croustillac made, one after another, three of the most respectful bows;
in order to resume his upright attitude and at the same time display the
nobility of his figure, advancing on one of his long legs, and drawing
the other a little behind it, he assumed a conquering air, holding his
hat in the right hand and resting his left hand upon the handle of his
sword. Doubtless he was about to make some gallant compliment to Blue
Beard, for he had already placed his hand on his heart, and opened his
large mouth, when the little widow, who could no longer repress an
irresistible desire to laugh at the absurd appearance of the chevalier,
gave free vent to her hilari